Despite high expectations and a $205 million budget, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” is sinking at the box office, failing to recapture the spark of the original hit.
The sequel, starring Jason Momoa as the King of Atlantis, has only grossed $84 million domestically after two weeks of release, collecting a soft $19.5 million over the weekend and an estimated $26 million through New Year’s Day.
In contrast, “Wonka,” a fantasy musical led by Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka, has reclaimed the top spot on domestic box office charts with $23.9 million over the weekend and an estimated $31 million through New Year’s Day.
“Wonka” has grossed $142 million domestically and $300 million worldwide to date, despite costing $100 million.
The lack of a potential billion-dollar blockbuster has made for a lackluster holiday season at the box office.
However, Comscore reports that domestic grosses for 2023 surpassed the $9 billion mark, the highest-grossing year since COVID upended the movie theater industry.